Nestled in 7000 acres at the edge of the New Forest, Somerley is a historic estate, dating back to 1792. It was the perfect location for wedding planner, Kim Balasubramaniam's Faded Romance shoot, recently published on 5 Star Weddings With the warmth and welcome of a lived-in family home, albeit one with a vast picture gallery and priceless antique furniture, Somerley House is the perfect setting for a quintessentially English countryside wedding. We were delighted to be invited to take part, alongside a stellar creative team. Settle back and enjoy the romance.
Kim, and shoot photographer, Zosia Zacharia, want us to imagine a country estate which has been left for years, being re-discovered and brought to life to be enjoyed by a new generation. Covers are lifted, billowing fabric floats in the air, tapestries and priceless artworks are uncovered and delicate gold leaf details unearthed. A romantic palette of the softest pastels; blush pink, powder blue and delicate eggshell are combined with a touch of gold. The colours run through all the pretty details, ribbons, flowing fabrics and flowers; lots of flowers. The result - an opulent, but relaxed celebration. A wedding with an historical influence, combined with a fresh, contemporary feel.
The shoot was initially inspired by Somerley’s original dining chairs. These delicately ornate gold leafed chairs are covered in hand sewn tapestries of floral bouquets in gorgeous shades of blue, pink and green, tied with flowing silk ribbons. Everything followed from this - from the stationery to the floral design to the shade of blue of the silk ribbons that tied the napkins together.
The most awe-inspiring florals were created by the team from Ricky Paul Flowers. A lush, floral garland ran the length of the table, tumbling onto the ground while a delicately trailing foliage canopy hung from an antique chandelier, framed the table beneath. The tablescape was designed around the antique dining chairs and featured pale duck-egg linen, traditional tableware and pastel pink glassware. The colour palette and delicate gold detailing was echoed throughout the pretty trio of cakes and sweet treats.
We chose to showcase headpieces from our Signature Collection, which feature individual antique and vintage jewellery elements and offer a wonderful heirloom feel to the bride's attire. Again, we took our cue from the pastel and gilt colour palette of Somerley's furnishings. Our designs were accompanied by some exquisite antique, gem-set jewellery from Webbs Jewellers.
This shoot brought together a wonderful group of wedding suppliers and creatives to showcase one of the nation's most beautiful venues – a truly magical place full of exquisite details and steeped in history. The shoot was beautifully captured by film photographer Zosia Zacharia and cinematographers Baxter & Ted.